Review: The Iron Knight - Julie Kagawa

Title: The Iron Knight (Iron Fey #4)
Author: Julie Kagawa
Format: Paperback
Pages: 368
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Published (UK): Mira 6th January 2012
Previous Books in Series: The Iron King, The Iron Daughter, The Iron Queen

Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.

Unless he can earn a soul.

To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side.

To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.

And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Ash has promised Meghan he'll somehow return to her, despite him being unable to live in the Iron realm. He's determined to find away to keep his promise; and to do this he must earn soul and become mortal. If that wasn't enough, Ash is stuck with Puck, who's promised Meghan to keep the Winter Prince safe, along with some other familiar and new faces.

I was really excited to read this book, I really enjoyed the first three books and with Ash being my favourite character of the lot, what more could I want? It's really interesting to read from Ash's point of view and not only does the reader get to know him so much better, we also see a different side of Puck. Ash and Puck have a long history together, both as friends and enemies, so the interaction between them is always interesting to say the least.

There's a bunch of twists and surprises along the way which keeps the story fresh and interesting and although I believe this series was planned as a trilogy, this fourth book certainly doesn't feel like an extra tagged on the end. As expected from Julie Kagawa, the writing is excellent, creating a vivid image of the world as Ash and his rag-tag gang quest their way through it to The End of the World.

Author Interview: Julie Kagawa

I'm excited to welcome Julie Kagawa, author of the Iron Fey series, to A Trillian Books! The Iron King, the first of the series has recently been released in the UK.

Meghan Chase has never fit in at her small-town high school, and now, on the eve of her 16th birthday, she discovers why. When her half brother is kidnapped, Meghan is drawn into a fantastical world she never imagined--the world of Faery, where anything you see may try to eat you, and Meghan is the daughter of the summer faery king. Now she will journey into the depths of Faery to face an unknown enemy . . . and beg the help of a winter prince who might as soon kill her as let her touch his icy heart. The Iron King is the first book in the Iron Fey series.

Can you tell us a little about the main characters in the book?

Meghan Chase is the main character of The Iron King. She is a normal, slightly awkward sixteen-year old who finds herself dropped into extraordinary circumstances.

Do you have a favourite character? If so, who is it?

My favourite character would have to be Ash, because I have a thing for dark, brooding bad boys who can wield pointy weapons. But Grimalkin runs a very, very close second.

The covers of the books are amazing! How much say in them did you have?

They are gorgeous! Though I had very little say in them beyond “ooh, pretty!” It’s the awesome people at Harlequin TEEN that get all the credit, though I think they might be in league with the cover faeries.

What are you writing at the moment?

Right now, I’m working on a new YA series set in a post-apocalyptic world. With vampires!

Who's your favourite author?

Too many to count, but I do love Neil Gaiman.

A big, big thank you to Julie for taking part in the interview. You can read my reviews of the Iron Fey Series at the following links:

The Iron King
The Iron Daughter
The Iron Queen

Review: The Iron Queen - Julie Kagawa

Title: The Iron Queen
Author: Julie Kagawa
Format: ebook
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Published: 25th January 2011 (Harlequin Teen)

My name is Meghan Chase.
I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.

*POSSIBLE MINOR SPOILERS OF THE PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE SERIES*
My reviews of these can be found here: The Iron King and The Iron Daughter

Following on from the previous two books, Meghan finds herself being drawn, unwillingly, back into the land of Faery. Just when she thought she was going to be able to start to live a 'normal' life again. With Ash, Puck and Grimalkin by her side, Meghan is given the task of eliminating the False King who has taken over the ruling of the Iron Fey.

As we have come to expect from this series, the writing is impeccable, with just the right amount of detail combined with action and emotion.The characters continue to develop nicely, as do the relationships between them. I did find the start of the book a little slow to get into but this didn't last long and I was soon back into the story.

One thing I love about the characters in these books is that they aren't perfect. Meghan in some ways still isn't a hundred percent sure about being part faery, she has doubts about her abilities and she still struggles to control her glamour. Puck is clearly struggling with the fact he's in love with Meghan and Ash has a whole heap of issues going on.

The end of the book was a little surprising, in a good way because it didn't really stick to what was expected. I was also glad to find out that there is to be a fourth book, The Iron Knight - which is Ash's story *Big squeee*, which sounds awesome because Ash is my favourite character.

If you've already read the previous Iron Fey books then you've probably already made your mind up about whether to read this one. If you haven't ... DO IT NOW!

Review: Tyger Tyger - Kersten Hamilton

Teagan Wylltson's best friend, Abby, dreams that horrifying creatures--goblins, shape-shifters, and beings of unearthly beauty but terrible cruelty--are hunting Teagan. Abby is always coming up with crazy stuff, though, so Teagan isn't worried. Her life isn't in danger. In fact, it's perfect. She's on track for a college scholarship. She has a great job. She's focused on school, work, and her future. No boys, no heartaches, no problems.

Until Finn Mac Cumhaill arrives. Finn's a bit on the unearthly beautiful side himself. He has a killer accent and a knee-weakening smile. And either he's crazy or he's been haunting Abby's dreams, because he's talking about goblins, too . . . and about being The Mac Cumhaill, born to fight all goblin-kind. Finn knows a thing or two about fighting. Which is a very good thing, because this time, Abby's right. The goblins are coming.

In many ways, Tyger Tyger follows a well used and well loved format that is popular in Young Adult Fiction. Fiesty heroine meets cute bad boy and finds out the world is not as she’s always thought it to be. Tyger Tyger has that unique edge as the fantasy element is somewhat unusual. While there’s books based on faerie lore, I don’t think I’ve ever read one that draws on Celtic mythology. It was this that first attracted me to the book and this that made me love it. Celtic myths have always interested me, particularly the legend of Fionn Mac Cumhaill. The myths also fitted in seamlessly with the story - it made sense why and when they were being retold.

Finn in the story is an ancestor of the original Fionn Mac Cumhaill and so has special abilities linked to this. He’s very much the bad boy whose heart is in the right place – the kind I love. Teagan’s a great protagonist as well. Just the right amount of vulnerability without being pathetic and she keeps Finn on his toes. The best friend factor in the form of Abby was surprisingly not annoying and superficial. She felt like a real person, plus her brothers have the most awesome names! The surprise character of the book was Aiden, Teagan’s little brother. Usually younger siblings are there to make up the numbers or to be rescued but Aiden is actually just as powerful, if not more so than the others. He gets the group out of trouble more than once and in way that was actually believable for a young kid.

If you’re looking for a book with great characters who you feel invested in right from the start, a ton of fantasy and mythology and a bit different to the norm then be sure to read Tyger Tyger.

Guest Post: Maria Rainier

I'd like to welcome Maria Rainier as a guest poster on A Trillian Books. Maria is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education, researching various online programs and blogging about student life issues. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

Peter & Max: A Fables Novel by Bill Willingham

For those of us who remember the fairy tales of our youth with affection, and the more inquisitive and skeptical among us who wondered whatever happened to tongue-twister characters like Peter Piper and if Pinocchio ever resented his dad for making him grow up forever in a child’s body, Bill Willingham’s Peter & Max can quench our curiosity.

Background on Fables

I began reading and spending too much money on Fables when a friend saw the book Wicked: the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire on my bookshelf and recommended Willingham’s Fables to me.

The franchise began as a DC Comics series by the title of Fables in 2002. Written by Willingham and penciled by Mark Buckingham and Steve Leihaloa among numerous others, the story follows the contemporary adventures of fabled characters such as Snow White, Bigby Wolf (whom you know as Red Riding Hood’s big-eyed, sharp-toothed, long-eared adversary), Beauty and the Beast, Alice, Pinocchio, and countless others by whom readers are continuously, delightfully surprised. They have escaped their fairy tale world after its conquest by the one they know as The Adversary, and currently seek shelter in upstate (and rural) New York.

Don’t race to your local comic book store expecting the Disney version of these well-known fables, however; the series is decidedly on the darker, more mature side. Characters curse, have sex, and often kill one another in very un-Disney-like ways. Enough humor and good goings-on abound, though, to make the series satisfying and even addictive. As of 2008, 12 Eisner Awards and myriad other recognitions prove it.

Branching Out to Peter & Max

Although still committed to Fables, in 2009 Willingham published Peter & Max: A Fables Novel, which tells the tale of Peter Piper and his lesser known brother and rival, Max. Like Fables, the novel’s story often takes sinister, very Brothers Grimm-appropriate turns, but Willingham’s combined abilities to make the reader take fairy tale characters and their misadventures seriously as well as laugh at him- or herself for doing so makes it a very tongue-in-cheek and charming read. Moreover, Willingham’s writing stands marvelously by itself without the help of dialogue bubbles and colorful art, very much like Neil Gaiman’s (another accomplished graphic novelist and author).

I’ve never been much of a comic book reader, but I let the idea Prince Charming having three divorces, Belle and Beast attending marital counseling, and the Frog Prince being a janitor with a penchant for eating flies carry me away into an escape I’ve never regretted. Peter & Max may be a good one-time fling with Willingham’s charmed writing and the beloved characters of our childhood, or it may serve as an introduction into the greater world of Fables.   

Review: Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex - Eoin Colfer

Artemis has committed his entire fortune to a project he believes will save the planet and its inhabitants, both human and fairy. Can it be true? Has goodness taken hold of the world’s greatest teenage criminal mastermind?

Captain Holly Short is unconvinced, and discovers that Artemis is suffering from Atlantis Complex, a psychosis common among guilt-ridden fairies -- not humans -- and most likely triggered by Artemis’s dabbling with fairy magic. Symptoms include obsessive-compulsive behavior, paranoia, multiple personality disorder and, in extreme cases, embarrassing professions of love to a certain feisty LEPrecon fairy.

Unfortunately, Atlantis Complex has struck at the worst possible time. A deadly foe from Holly’s past is intent on destroying the actual city of Atlantis. Can Artemis escape the confines of his mind -- and the grips of a giant squid -- in time to save the underwater metropolis and its fairy inhabitants?

Artemis is showing symptoms of Atlantis Complex when he meets up with his fairy acquaintances in a remote location to present them with his latest project. Captain Holly Short notices his obsession with the number five, right down to the fact  he will only speak in multiples of five words. Before she can do anything about it though everything goes wrong and Artemis ends up getting zapped by a Neutrino. As a result he ends up locked inside his own mind with his alter-ego, Orion, becoming the dominant personality. Just at a time when they need Artemis' cunning and genius, they're stuck with the 'nice' version of him who's entire plan of getting out of the mess is to build a bivouac or search for magic stones that can grant wishes.

Colfer's writing is as witty and sharp as ever and full of action and detail. All the usual characters are back and as we love them. I did however feel that the plot was lacking something somehow, usually there's more surprises in store and the end was also a little ... meh. I also found it a little slow going in places, particularly once Orion had made his appearance. Okay, he was entertaining and all butto me it was odd that for a good proportion of the book there was essentially no Artemis, and well, it is an Artemis Fowl book after all. He might be snarky, arrogant and cocky but that's why we love him.

I enjoyed reading Atlantis Complex but compared to the other books in the series it wasn't the best, in my opinion. 

Review: City of Ashes - Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Ashes (Mortal Instruments #2)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Format: Paperback
Pages: 411
Genre: Young Adult, Urban fantasy, Paranormal
Published: 7th July 2008 (Walker - UK)

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go -- especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil -- and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings -- and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.

Needless to say, if you're considering reading City of Ashes, the second of the Mortal Instruments series, then you've most probably read the first one, City of Bones, and therefore know how amazing this series is. If you haven't read it then why not, seriously, it's awesome! =D

I always find that second books of a series are hard to review. As a book on it's own, City of Ashes would be right up there with my favourites but saying that, it didn't quite live up to the first one. Don't get me wrong, I loved reading this, it just didn't have the fresh, excitingness of City of Bones.

Cassandra Clare is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. Her characters are amazing for a start. I love that the Shadowhunters, while technically the 'goodies', are a little bit bad-ass (especially Jace) and that the 'baddies' aren't necessarily always bad. without going full-on nice. There's a whole grey area between good and bad in these books and to me that makes it all the more realistic. Clare has a way of ensuring her books don't just follow the same old kind of stories that so many YA and paranormal books do. There's twists and turns that catch you out at times but also clues because half the fun of it is trying to work out what's going to happen - and that superior feeling you get when you got it right! Top that off with witty dialogue, character development and some exciting action scenes and you've got an awesome read.

My review of City of Bones

Review: The Iron Daughter - Julie Kagawa

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron Fey, iron-bound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her. Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's alone in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart. 

My review of the first book in this series, The Iron King, can be found here

Well, there's probably not a lot I can say about The Iron Daughter that either I didn't say about the first one or won't include spoilers. There's the same amazing characters (as well as some new ones), the writing is brilliant and we get to learn more about the world Julie Kagawa has invented and describes in excellent detail.

Puck is still up to his usual mischief, Grim comes and goes seemingly as the mood suits, Ash ... well, Ash is hot and brooding ...

There's everything you loved about the first book (and if you haven't that yet you really should!) combined with a new adventure to stop the Iron Fae from taking over and of course a little bit of romance ... but who with?

Other reviews of this book:
The Ninja Librarian
drey's library

Review: Ash - Malinda Lo

In the wake of her father’s death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, re-reading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted. 

The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King’s Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash’s capacity for love—and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love. (Goodreads)

Basically a retelling of Cinderella, I really liked the sound of Ash before I started reading but I found it a little bit ... blah to be honest. It's not a bad book, the writing is good, if a little descriptive for my liking and Ash, the main character is likeable enough.  I just found it hard to get into and the story never really seemed to get going for me. I did actually put the book to one side about half way through and had almost decided on taking it back to the library unfinished until I read another blogger's review (sorry, can't remember who it was) which inspired me enough to give it another try. I did end up partly skim-reading the second half but in the end I was glad I completed it - of only because I hate to leave a book without knowing how it ends.

Although I personally didn't like this book much, I wouldn't put anyone else off reading it as I really do think it was just down to personal preference. It wasn't my kind of thing but it may be yours.

Other reviews of this book:

Inked Books

Review: The Iron King - Julie Kagawa

Title: The Iron King
Author: Julie Kagawa
Series: The Iron Fey
Format: Paperback
Pages: 363
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Published: 1st February 2010

Meghan Chase has never fit in at her small-town high school, and now, on the eve of her 16th birthday, she discovers why. When her half brother is kidnapped, Meghan is drawn into a fantastical world she never imagined--the world of Faery, where anything you see may try to eat you, and Meghan is the daughter of the summer faery king. Now she will journey into the depths of Faery to face an unknown enemy . . . and beg the help of a winter prince who might as soon kill her as let her touch his icy heart. The Iron King is the first book in the Iron Fey series.

A brilliant plot with great characters and excellent writing. Why can't all books be like this? From the first time I heard about The Iron King I was really looking forward to reading it. I love stories with faeries so that instantly captured my attention and I really liked the idea of it including some familiar characters such as Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream.

I don't think there was a character in this book who I disliked. Well, ok, so I disliked the bad guys but only in the way we're supposed to, as well-written characters go even these guys were great. Meghan is a likeable protaganist. I liked that she didn't believe what she was being told about the world of Faery straight away and even when she accepted that things were happening around her, she was still reluctant. I hate books that have "the world is completely different to what I thought but hey ho, that's fine" characters, and Meghan certainly wasn't one of these. Puck is loveable and fun, always up to mischief and I thought it was cute how he calls Meghan "Princess" right from the start. The best character by far in my opinion though was Ash! Gotta love those bad boys!

There were some elements of The Iron King that reminded me of other books; Alice in Wonderland and the Narnia books being the most obvious. This wasn't a bad thing though, not only are they great stories to be compared to but it was also part of the plot that certain parts of Faery were familiar.

A definite recommended read!

Other reviews of The Iron King

Smitten With Books

Loud Words & Sounds

Michelle and Leslie's Book Picks

Delightful Reviews

Mindful Musings

I will be reading and reviewing The Iron Daughter soon!